1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer container for use in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic apparatus, and a cartridge detachably attachable to the image forming apparatus.
Examples of image forming apparatuses include electrophotographic copiers, electrophotographic printers (for example, laser printers and LED printers or the like), facsimile terminal equipment, and word processors or the like.
In addition, as cartridges for image forming apparatuses, for example, process cartridges are used. The process cartridge comprises at least one of charging means and cleaning means, an electrophotographic photosensitive member that is an image bearing member (bearer), and developing means, which are integrated as a cartridge and are detachably attachable to an image-forming-apparatus main body. Alternatively, the process cartridge comprises at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member, which are integrated as a cartridge and are detachably attachable to an image-forming-apparatus main body.
In addition, a developing apparatus contains (houses) a developer for developing an electrostatic image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive member and uses developing means to develop the electrostatic image with the developer in order to visualize the image.
2. Related Background Art
Conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic-image-forming process are based on a process-cartridge method for integrating an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means acting on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, together as a cartridge and detachably attaching this cartridge to an image-forming-apparatus main body. This process-cartridge method enables users to carry out maintenance work for the apparatus without relying on service personnel, thereby substantially improving operability. Thus, the process-cartridge method is commonly used in image forming apparatuses.
In such a process cartridge, a toner container that is a developer container configuring part of a developing apparatus has an opening for supplying a developing-container side with a toner (a developer) contained in the toner container. This opening is sealed with a toner seal that is a seal member while the process cartridge is unused. When the process cartridge is used, a folded-back portion of the toner seal is unsealed by pulling the seal in the folding-back direction, thereby enabling the toner to be supplied to the developing-container side from the toner container.
In order to automatically unseal the toner seal, automatic unsealing mechanisms have been proposed that automatically unseal the toner seal by winding up the folded-back portion of the toner seal around a winding member, such as a winding shaft, via an operational force applied upon installation of the process cartridge in the image-forming-apparatus main body or via a power-transmission device, such as a gear, which is driven by a motor upon the installation of the process cartridge in the image-forming-apparatus main body (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-193872, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-110954, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-127876, etc.).
Thus, a simple inexpensive configuration has been desired as a mechanism for automatically unsealing the toner seal member.